Clara Riddle
by Lyricalyrics
Summary: Clara Riddle has been stuck at Shady Orphanage for as long as she can remember. She had been beaten, ate moldy bread, and had no friends for her whole life. But one night everything changes, and suddenly she's at Hogwarts, school of Witchcraft and Wizardry and she hears her father is the Dark Lord who killed her mother. Can a certain joker Maurader fix her broken heart?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, guys! I am so geeked out because I've been waiting for 2 days to get my laptop back (long story involving a cruel and heartless punishment- I've been without my laptop for two days- a whole record)- and I LOVE LOVE LOVE this idea so much I decided to make it into a story. **

**So, I hope you enjoy, and if you can take ONE SECOND to go and try to review, I'd be ever-appreciative! Anyways, enjoy the story!**

**. . .**

_WHAM!  
_The cane almost completely busted Clara Riddle's arm, but she bit her lip as the pain infested her body. She stared into the furious eyes of Ms. Alecine, the owner of the orphanage. Her beady eyes narrowed even more, if that was possible, and she sneered at Clara. "Stupid girl," She sneered, "Confess to who took the cheese and you will suffer less,"

Clara glared at Ms. Alecine, or as she liked to call her, Female Hitler.

"I was starving and all you fed us was stale bread. _I _took the cheese and ate it all to myself," Clara spat out, glancing at the whimpering body of her fellow orphan, Angela Green. Angela and she weren't close, and it was a wonder why she was backing her up. In fact, Angela detested Clara, and she taunted her quite often.

Female Hitler snarled and brought the cane back down on Clara's frame. "Liar! I will have you thrown in the Black Room and you will _not _have any meals this week at all, you can count on that!" She dragged Clara to a small closet and threw her inside. "Pleasant dreams!" She smiled wickedly, and slammed the door. Clara sank down on her knees in the small space and tried to hold her tears. What did she do to deserve this?

She didn't remember her parents at all- only a slight green light, a woman's scream and a lock of blonde hair-, that was all she remembered from her early years. The orphanage staff told her they found her in an abandoned house near a corpse with white-blonde hair, who must've been her mother. They had sneered as they told her, like she was some kind of disease they were forced to take care of.

She pounded on the door, screaming until her voice was hoarse. "Let me out! Let me out!" She shouted, but all she got was silence. A heartbreaking sob pierced her, and before she knew it she was crying so hard her body shook. Warm tears trickled down her cheeks, and it was half an hour before she could control herself again.

She curled up on the floor and began to say what she did every night before she went to bed. "Mama, mama, help me get home, I'm out in the woods, I'm out on my own. I found me a werewolf, a nasty old mutt- it showed me it's teeth and went straight for my gut. Mama, mama, help me get home, I'm out in the woods, I'm out on my own. I was stopped by a vampire, a nasty old wreck- it showed me it's teeth and went straight for my neck. Mama, mama, put me to bed- I won't make it home; I'm already half-dead. I met a boy and fell for his art- he showed me his smile and went straight for my heart."

A peaceful silence began after she finished her chant- she had said it ever since she could talk after she read it in a book of old nursery rhymes. The words felt connected to her, and she always hoped her mother could hear her wherever she was. Sadly, it was to no avail. Her mother would never come back to her, but a lingering hope still stayed in her heart, and she hated it. Nobody wanted her- she would have to stay at Shady Orphanage forever, and she knew it.

Suddenly, warmth filled her chest, and then spread throughout her body. It started comforting and nice, but it got hotter and hotter until it felt like she was being burned. She writhed around in pain, and she opened her mouth to scream, but only a croak escaped. Was she having a seizure? Her whole body shrieked in pain, and she jerked around in the closet. Was this the end for Clara?

Then a sweet coolness replaced the warmth, and when she opened her eyes she wasn't in the Black Room. Instead, she was in a huge dining hall with levitating candles and people in robes.

She was hallucinating. She _had _to be hallucinating. This wasn't real- it was a dream, and when she woke up she'd be back in Shady Orphanage, shivering and starving. But when she blinked, she was still in the same place. The silence was overwhelming as they stared at Clara, and she tried to stand up.

Big mistake.

Blackness shivered in her mind, and she fell back onto the long, rich red carpet. That was when the bustling began. Several people shouted, and a few even screamed. Clara opened her eyes so wide they were bulging and then tried to sit back up, only to fall down again. "I- I'm sorry," She tried to apologize. What was going on? She probably had sleep-walked all the way over here. But Female Hitler locked the door- how had she gotten out?

An old man in blue robes and twinkling blue eyes suddenly walked up to her, and she felt odd, like she met the old man before. His fluffy white beard tumbled down to the floor, and she glanced at him from on the floor. "Where am I? Who are you? Did I sleep-walk here? Why are those candles floating? Why is your beard so long? Isn't it weird, you know, to lug a 5-feet-beard around? Do you know where Shady Orphanage is? Why am-" The old man just smiled at her, and she blushed in embarrassment for asking such stupid and rude questions.

"I'm sorry," She apologized. "My name is Clara Riddle- do you happen to know where I am?" A boy at one long table suddenly smirked at her, and she stared, slack-jawed. He was gorgeous. And by gorgeous, she meant gorgeous-male-model-gorgeous. He had long shoulder-length black hair and silvery gray eyes and a smoldering smile that made her want to melt. The old man coughed, and her head jerked back.

"Riddle, eh? Do you happen to be related to Tom Riddle?" He asked as he grabbed her hand and pulled her up. A small murmuring escaped from the people in robes- which were basically everyone. Clara stared at him. "He was my father, but he's dead now. Do you know him?" She asked, and gasps broke out.

The old man stared at her as if recognizing her for the first time. "Yes, I'm afraid I do. Oh, and are these yours?" He grabbed a small projection from under his robes and pressed play. Instantly, a screen suddenly appeared on the left of the stone brick walls, and the lights went out. Then the projection began to play.

_Clara is in a beautiful young woman's arms and appears to be an infant, with fuzzy black hair and icy green eyes. The woman holding her has frosty white hair and brilliant green eyes. She is standing a foot away from a man with black hair and a cruel scowl. They appeared to be in a fight. "Give the child to me. She is no longer your concern," The man had a deep, mean voice, and the woman winced. "She is my child, and I will not let you touch her, Tom," She said._

With a jolt of shock, Clara realized the beautiful woman in the projection was her mom.

"_She is my child, too, and you have grown to be quite an insolent witch, Clarisse." The man, Tom, glared at the woman and grabbed a peculiar-looking twisted stick from a nearby table. "You- You cannot have her! I would rather die-" "Then allow me to oblige to your request, Clarisse. Avada Kedavra!" He yelled, and a green light shot threw his twisted stick. The woman screamed and dropped to the floor as the light touched her, still holding Clara tightly in her arms._

"NO!" Clara screamed, but then the screen changed.

_Clara appears to be about six, and she is sweeping in a dusty old attic. Her face is covered in dust and dirt, and her long black hair was covered in spiderwebs. "I know a castle on a cloud," She sang softly, and her voice was light and feathery. "I like to go there in my sleep. Aren't any floors for me to sweep-" She coughed up dust and continued on. "Not in my castle on a cloud. There is a room that's filled with toys. There are a hundred boys and girls. Nobody shouts or talks to loud- not in my castle on a cloud. There is a lady all in white, holds me and sings a lullaby- she's nice to see, and she's soft to touch. She says, 'Clara, I love you very much'… I know a place where no-one's lost, I know a place where no-one cries- crying at all is not allowed… not in my castle on a cloud."_

_Tears formed in her eyes, and she suddenly dropped the broomstick and sank down on her knees, crying. "It's not fair!" Her little voice screeched, echoing in the quiet of the attic, and her tiny face scrunched as she cried. _

Clara felt herself grow hot as stares bore into her back, but the image suddenly changed.

_It was only a few moments before, and Clara appears to be being beaten up by Miss Alecine. "Confess to who took the cheese and you will suffer less pain," She snarled, and Clara nervously glanced at the shivering body of Angela Green. "I was starving and all you fed us was stale bread. I took the cheese and ate it all myself," Her voice trembled, but she looked like she was trying hard to be brave, though it wasn't working. Her bottom lip trembled, and her eyes shone with tears of pain from being beaten by Miss Alecine's evil cane. _

"_Liar!" Shouted Miss Alecine, and she dragged Clara by the clothes to a closet. "I will have you thrown in the Black Room and you will not have any meals for a week, you can count on that!" She hissed, then shoved Clara in. "Pleasant dreams!" She cackled, then slammed the door. The projection panned in to Clara's face more clearly, which was scrunched like she was trying to hold her tears. Her long black hair hid her face as she chanted softly._

"_Mama, mama, help me get home, I'm out in the woods, I'm out on my own. I found me a werewolf, a nasty old mutt- it showed me its teeth and went straight for my gut._

A boy next to the gorgeous model-like boy Clara had made eye contact with earlier frowned at her chant, and she blushed as he made a face at her.

_Mama, mama, help me get home, I'm out in the woods, I'm out on my own. I was stopped by a vampire, a nasty old wreck- it showed me its teeth and went straight for my neck. Mama, mama, put me to bed- I won't make it home; I'm already half-dead. I met a boy and fell for his art- he showed me his smile and went straight for my heart."_

_It was quiet after that, but then Clara started to sob heartbreakingly. Her sobs wracked her body, and her tears rolled down her cheeks and the bridge of her small nose. Suddenly, light erupted from her chest, and she screamed. It grew lighter and lighter and lighter-_

Until the projection broke. Clara stared at it like it was solid gold. "How- How is that- I don't- How-" "I don't know, my dear. Magic, perhaps," The old man's eyes twinkled with amusement as he said that. Clara scoffed. "There's no such thing as magic- if there was, I'd be with my mother and we'd go shopping for clothing and she'd buy me an Alexander Doll from that store in Manhattan and we'd-"

"You're from the States?" A plump-looking woman in green asked from the table in the front, next to a stern-looking woman with a pointed witch's hat- the ones you see on Halloween-. "No duh," Clara scowled. "Now _where am I? _How did the projection seem to know my whole life? Why is that creepy lady robes? No, no- why is _everyone _in robes? Is this an insane asylum? Why does it smell so funky in here?" Clara sprouted out questions so quickly the old man grinned at her. "My name is Albus Dumbledore," He said, "And you're in Hogwarts, school of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

**Okay, guys, that was kind of horrible, but I really like the plotline and I will try to tweak the story to be more better. So I'm sorry it's such a muddle of words, but the next chapter will be better- I promise. AND PLEASE REVIEW!  
Love, hugs, and all that jazz,**

**Lyricalyrics**


	2. Squabbles

**Hey, guys, and thanks you to, DynamicCheetah, for your sweet review! I personally adore this chapter and I would very much appreciate it if you reviewed. Anyways, here's your chapter :D!**

**. . .**

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he walked with Clara down the hallways. She looked very much like her mother when she was younger: curious, icy green eyes that somehow managed to be warm without breaking, her rose-petal soft skin that seemed to glow dimly in the dark like moonlight, her thick white eyelashes, her pale, rosy lips and even the tiny dimple in her chin. Except for her long, dark black hair, it was almost like Clarisse was strolling along the hallways with him and pestering him into giving her her grades for the OWLS early.

Even though she did look like her mother, Tom was still there. He was hidden among her eyes, cautious and glinting. He was hidden in her skin- even though soft and warm, icy white, fit for a vampire then a 14-year-old orphan. He was even hidden among her mouth; the curve in her lips was pure mischief.

She was only wearing raggedy old jeans and a faded gray hoodie, and Dumbledore was sure she didn't have anything else on. Her feet were bare and almost blackened completely, from harsh summer days on the cruel gravel and fierce winter nights on the freezing snow. She caught him looking and her eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?" Her tone was soft, but held a warning.

"I'm sorry- it's just that you look so much like your mother, just the same eyes and smile. Oh, how proud Clarisse would've been of you!" Dumbledore smiled cheerfully, a kind grin that Clara didn't return. "But…?" She asked, after a few moments of silence.

It was almost if they didn't feel the presence of Sirius Black and his mates under James Potter's Invisibility Cloak; but of course Dumbledore noticed. Meanwhile, Clara was blinking back tears and was holding her chin high while fighting a look of pure fright on her pale face. "But nothing. You are very beautiful, my dear," Dumbledore assured her, and a warm blush spread on her cheeks. "Thanks, Gramps," She snorted, and the moment was lost.

"Please, my dear, call me Dumbledore. Oh! Here we are!" He pulled open the door to his office, and Clara gasped. It was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny, small noises. A number of odd silver instruments stood on spindle-legged tables, giving off little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were sleeping in their frames. There was also an huge, claw-footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, old wizard's hat. "It's very beautiful, sir," She smiled for the first time, and Dumbledore smiled as he shut the door, knowing very well that the Mauraders were quietly entering the room at the very moment.

"Clara, why don't you take a seat?" He pulled out a wicker chair and she dutifully sat in it, resting her chin against a small white palm. "I know your father very well- your mother, too. They were students here at Hogwarts- Head Boy and Girl, if you can imagine!" Dumbledore began, thoughtfully stroking his beard.

"Tom was a bit odd. I had found him in an orphanage and took him here after I diagnosed him as something more than a regular human- a wizard," He smiled, looking as if he enjoyed the shock on Clara's face.

"That's… marvelous!" She suddenly exclaimed, and Dumbledore raised his eyebrows and smiled in pleasant surprise. "I'm glad you think so, my dear," He said, patting her hand. "Anyways, they were very good students- _O_s on all of their OWLs for all their years in Hogwarts!" Clara raised her arched, thin black eyebrows in question, and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "OWLs are the grades for wizards and witches in Hogwarts, Clara. The six grades are: Oustanding, Exceeds Expectations, Acceptable, Poor, Dreadful, and Troll. Any-who, they got every class with _Outstanding, _or _O _for short.

"They were very good students, especially your mother, but Tom was a tad wicked, you might say. A bad apple of a sort. He was put in Slytherin, the house of Salazar Slytherin. It may be inappropriate to say, but I never really did fancy those Slytherin sorts. Too much evil ones for my taste. Your mother was put in Ravenclaw, the house of Rowena Ravenclaw- and the house of brains, naturally- and the two started having 'secret visits' in the library at night. It was not unusual to see the two snogging at midnight behind the bookshelves," He grinned at the gag and retching sounds Clara was making.

"Snogging? You mean, like, making out and stuff? Oh, gag me with a Hershey bar! Who in their right mind would love Tom Riddle?!" Clara spluttered, and Dumbledore smiled. "The Death-Eaters are one group," He frowned, and his beard drooped a bit. "They are very prejudiced on Muggle-Born, or wizards and witches who grew up in a Muggle family or had been brought up in a Muggle community." He explained, and Clara frowned. Her eyes suddenly turned steely gray, much like Tom's eyes were.

"Like me, basically." Her voice was matter-of-fact. Dumbledore merely shook his head. "Actually, he was living much like yourself- I met him in a Muggle orphanage." He told her, and Clara suddenly put her head in her hands. "This is so much to process," She said, and her voice was strange- watery-like. Dumbledore saw a few tears drip on his big, dark desk, and he gently patted her hair. "I mean, my whole life I've been beaten up with a cane and was fed moldy bread and always tried to be brave for my friends in the orphanage, and now I hear I'm a _witch. _A magical creature, when my whole life has been anything but magical. I can still feel Miss Alecine's cane on my ribs- I can still hear the screams of the girls locked in the Black Room. It sounded like they were being tortured. It made me die- even if I'm living now, I'm already dead!"

She shouted the last part.

Dumbledore was silent as the chair screeched back and she stood up. "Thanks for everything, but I think I'm just going to go back to the orphanage," She told him, her eyes glistening with tears. "It's a very long way to New York from England, Miss Riddle. Do you really want to be back in Miss Alecine's hands? Be beaten up every day by her vicious cane? Please, Clara. I will take you to Olivanders tomorrow, where you will get your wand. We'll buy you your essentials, and you will start your school year. You're fourteen? I suppose you will have to be placed in third year, and it will take a little extra work, but we cannot have you in Tom's clutches."

"I-I-" She stumbled against something in the air, and she screeched as the Invisibility Cloak fell off the four boys. "Oh," She said in obvious relief. "I know I should be pissed that you were listening into our conversation, but right now I'm too emotionally exhausted to do anything but punch your faces," She said tiredly, and launched a hard punch in Sirius Black's face. He cursed under his breath and grabbed his nose.

Remus Lupin, the boy who had frowned at Clara's chant, laughed. "My nose! My beautiful nose! Look what she's down to it, Prongs! And SHUT UP, MOONY!" He yelled, still holding his nose. Dumbledore chuckled at the scene, but Clara only stuck her tongue out. "Serves you right, you twit! If you're so low as to listen in to other people's conversations, then you must have a very sorry life,"

James Potter, the boy who Sirius had called "Prongs", glanced at her with a creasing eyebrow and a scowl. "Not as bad as having to live in an orphanage where an old lady beats you up with a cane! Not as bad as having the Dark Lord as your father!" It was the wrong thing to say, and James gulped as Clara's eyes flashed a deep ruby red.

"AHHH!" He yelled as she launched herself at him. "I'LL KILL YOU! I swear on a stack of _Vogue _magazines that I'll strangle you to death with my bear hands!" She screamed as they wrestled on the floor. "Merlin's Beard, guys! Stop that!" Remus Lupin grabbed Clara away from James, who was glaring at her with a now-black eye. Dumbledore sighed and suppressed a smile. "Well, children, nothing gets my blood pumping like an old-fashioned fight, but I must say that there has been enough violence for one day, wouldn't you agree?"

Clara, Remus, Sirius, James, and Peter Pettigrew all nodded silently and looked down at their feet. "Yes, sir," They said in unison, and Dumbledore gave Clara a wink before converting his face into a stern look. "No fighting from now on, is that understood?" They gave one nod before Dumbledore smiled. "Excellent!" He clapped his hands once, and the light from the candles went off. "Boys, you should go to bed. Clara and I have a date with the sorting hat," Dumbledore said before leading the children out of his office.

**I personally loved the little squabble between Clara and the boys, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I do! Anyways, thanks for all your love and support, and until next time…!  
Love, hugs, and all that jazz,**

**Lyricalyrics**


	3. Diagon Alley

**Hey, guys! This chapter is really nice- in my opinion, of course, but isn't my opinion superior?- and I think it helps show a little more of Clara's personality. So I hope you enjoy!  
. . .**

The sorting hat was placed in the center of the Great Hall, a huge dining hall with four enormous wooden tables and chairs. At the front stood one giant table, which Clara guessed the professors sat in. They approached the Sorting Hat with slow, deliberate movements, as it was sleeping and could get quite cranky if woken up wrong.

"Kiss it awake, Clara," Dumbledore's voice jarred her thoughts, and she whipped around to stare at him incredulously. "You serious? I'm a New Yorker! I'm not kissing that hat, Dumbledore!" She protested, her face flushed rosy red. "Clara, please…?" He gave her big puppy-dog eyes, and she reluctantly laughed. "Fine, but I know I'm going to regret it."

Sighing, she leaned down and kissed it. Blech! It tasted like rotten leather! "Ugh!" She spat out, trying to get the taste out of her mouth. It's eyes, two large holes, fluttered, and they widened when they saw Clara. "Well, if it isn't Miss Riddle," The Sorting Hat drawled, and Clara rolled her eyes. "I've been wondering when I'd be seeing you here. Bet she'll be in Slytherin, Dumbledore. Her father was- looked how that turned out. Marvelous." The hat snorted and Clara glared at it.

Dumbledore only smiled and placed it on her head. "Oh!" The Sorting Hat gasped. "Merlins' Beard- never in my 1,000 years…" His voice trailed off, and then picked up again. "Curious mind, very wise girl for her age, though she has a streak of rebelliousness… Ah! Very brave heart, the most brave I've ever heard. This girl's stood up to more bullies then I can count on my hands and feet!" The Sorting Hat exclaimed, and Dumbledore's eyes glinted with mirth.

"You don't _have _hands or feet, Sorting Hat," He smiled lightly, and the Sorting Hat just sighed. "Someday…" He muttered. "Oh, yes, we were on your courageousness. Good god, this girl has to be in GRYFFINDOR!" He yelled, and Dumbledore clapped his hands; his blue eyes were shining. Clara smiled brightly and stepped away from the Sorting Hat.

Dumbledore accompanied her all the way to the Girls' Dormitories and gave her a warm but quick hug. "You might want to be quiet," He whispered, and she smiled in response. "Please meet me here in the morning; we must get you your essentials for Hogwarts tomorrow, since I highly doubt Olivanders is open at this time." She nodded and gave him one last smile before creeping inside the Girls' Dormitory and gasped. The dormitory was filled with posters of famous-looking Quidditch players. Books were strewn onto the floor, and a bunch of sleeping girls occupied the beds. Clara silently walked to an empty one and flopped down onto it, drifting off immediately.

_Clara finds herself in an empty room with a few chairs clumped against a wooden table. Only one seat is occupied. A beautiful woman with brilliant sea-green eyes and frosty white-blonde hair in sitting down serenely on the chair with her legs crossed. Clara felt her legs wobbling. "Mom?" She asked, but the woman just smiled and took her hand. _

_All of a sudden, whirlwinds of memories flew against Clara. She saw a younger version of her mom and a handsome dark-haired boy smiling as they held hands; she saw Tom Riddle smiling wickedly as he advanced on a cowering old man; and lastly she saw a bright green light hurtling towards her, and a man screaming, "CRUCIO!"_

She woke up with a jolt and looked around. It was light outside, and a handful of girls were crowding around her bed. One had spiky brown hair and beautiful , sparkly blue eyes- another looked angelic, with long sweeping fiery red hair and bright green eyes. The third had dirty blonde hair and was very pretty, with slightly tanned skin and bright golden brown eyes. The fourth was slightly chubby, and had red hair in a messy braid and brown eyes, and they all looked excited.

"Well," The blue-eyed one began with a smile, "Dumbledore didn't tell us we'd have a new roommate!" Her blue eyes were like a spring-fed lake, Clara noted as she studied the girl. "Yeah- my name's Marlene, what's yours?" The blonde-haired girl jumped in, and Clara smiled shyly. "I'm Clara. Clara R-" "My name's Alice, and this is Lily and Mara!" She said, gesturing to the chubby girl and the red-haired girl next to her.

"Are you starting classes today?" Marlene asked, and even though it didn't seem like she wanted to be snobbish, her tone was showy-offish. "No, I'm not. Dumbledore has told me I would most likely start tomorrow- I suppose I didn't get my acceptance letter because I'm from New York, out in the States." She replied coolly as she tried to fix her hair and crumpled-up clothing in the mirror. "Oh, pish!" Alice sighed and brought out her wand, a rather pretty thing with sharp cuts.

"You _can't _go out in _that," _Mara added and wandered off to her trunk. "I'll let you borrow my V-neck!" Her muffled voice yelled as she began searching for decent clothing. Alice muttered something under her breath, and instantly Clara's fuzzy, long black hair curled up at the ends in tight ringlets, showing off gorgeous curls. "Wow, thanks Alice!" She exclaimed, and her eyes were so big they were owlish, but Alice just chuckled. "No prob," She smiled, and Clara tentatively smiled back.

Mara walked up to her holding a pair of small black tights, blue flats and an aqua-colored V-neck. "Those were the prettiest things I could find," She panted, and Marlene frowned. "Those are mine!" She protested, but was cut off by Mara's palm. "Shh, Marley- we're helping the pretty new girl here," She said calmly, and Marlene rolled her eyes dramatically. The flats were a bit big on her, and so was the V-neck, but the tights fit like a glove.

"Thanks so much, guys, I don't know what I'd-" She began again while Alice fixed her makeup. "Hurry up, Alice, we're going to be late!" Marlene complained, but Alice just hummed under her breath as she finally dabbed strawberry-red lip gloss on her rosy lips. "Ta-da! I truly am a miracle worker," She shook her head and smiled as Clara stared at herself in the mirror, shocked.

The girl in front of her looked like a million bucks. She didn't look like she had to work a day in her life, or do any sort of labor whatsoever. Her cheeks were rosy pink, and her lips were a glossy pale red. And for the final touch, dark blue eyeshadow sprinkled onto her eyelids made her look actually kind of…

_Hot._

Lily just rolled her eyes as she smiled and muttered, "Makeup is so vain," Before hurrying out the door. But Clara smiled to herself as she followed Hermione out to the Common Room. People stopped their conversations and stared at Clara like she was some sort of princess. "Excuse me, but it's rude to stare," Alice snapped at them and half-dragged her out of the Common Room. Dumbledore was actually waiting for her right next to the exit, and smiled at the group surrounding her.

"Hello, girls! How are you doing today?" He asked politely, and the group smiled. "We're doing fabulously, thanks for asking, Professor," Lily smiled, and her whole face lit up with a warm glow. "Ah, that's very good. Would you mind if I borrowed your new friend? We need to take care of some business," He winked at Clara and she flushed.

"Of course, Professor!" Came the girls' chorused reply, but Marlene grabbed the four and almost dragged them away. "We really must be going to class, but it was a pleasure, Professor," She said with a fake smile and sauntered away.

Dumbledore stared after her and sighed. "She truly is her mother's daughter," He muttered, but smiled at Clara when she gave him a confused look. "Hold onto my arm, Clara," He ordered, and her icy green eyes narrowed. "But-" "_Clara, please," _He cut her off, and she sighed as she placed a hand on her arm. "I don't really see how-"

She cut herself off with a scream. Colors whirled around her, and her head spun like she had played Ring-Around-the-Rosy 100 times. But they came to a stop, and she looked around wide-eyed. The place they had transported to was amazing, with huge shops cramping together and wizards and witches in silky robes. Through a glass window she saw a beautiful broomstick with a pointed end that read, the _Firebolt. _

Dumbledore entered a small shop on the left that read _Ollivanders, _and smiled at the grumbling man in the back of the store. His head was down as he cramped over a few boxes of wands. The store was pretty, with a nice blue carpet over the wooden floor and a huge space in the back, filled with beautiful wands. "Ahem," Dumbledore coughed, and the man jerked up. Clara instantly winced.

He was quite the sight, with messy white hair, like he had put a finger in the electric socket, and silver eyes that seemed almost white. His eyes glazed past Dumbledore and locked onto Clara. "Clara Riddle," He whispered, and his eyes flashed. Clara whimpered as she hid behind Dumbledore, like a shy little kid meeting her dad's odd family friend. "I've been wondering when you'd come! It's a pleasure to meet you," He told her, but Clara detected an edge to his words, like a warning.

She jumped into action. "Don't worry, sir, I'm nothing like my dad," She told him quickly, and his lips curved into a wry smile. "Of course not, my dear. I remember when your father first came into here. Looked a lot like you, actually. His wand was 15", Elder, Thestral tail hair core, I remember. Dark, powerful thing… If only I'd made sure that it wouldn't be put in the wrong hands, then maybe we wouldn't be in this horrible war…" His voice trailed off, and Clara fidgeted uncomfortably.

His eyes brightened, however, and he brought out a pretty, light brown wand from the back. "Ah, here we are. 12" inches, dragon heartstring, quite swishy," He smiled, but as soon as she picked it up he instantly snatched it back and scratched his head. "No, no, no, this won't do at all," He mumbled to himself and wandered into the back.

"He's an odd guy, Dumbledore. A little scary, actually. What's up with his eyes?" She asked, but was cut off by Garrick Ollivander's footsteps wandering back. "This one is it," He smiled proudly as he placed a reddish brown wand on the desk. "14' inches, willow, pliable," He said, but as soon as she touched it he grabbed it back instantly and frowned. "No, no, no!" He sounded like a kid who didn't get what he wanted for Christmas, Clara thought as she eyed the old man.

"Hmm… what about this old fellow?" He mused as he brought back an intricate-looking black wand. She snatched it from the table, and instantly red, gold, silver, and green sparks shot out from it. Garrick Ollivander gaped at her for a few moments. "What kind of wand-" "14' inches, unicorn hair, unyielding." He interrupted her, and she smiled at him.

He didn't return the smile.

Instead, he blinked at her and turned back to Dumbledore. "It'll cost 10 Galleons," He told him, and instantly Dumbledore's hand was dropping a few golden coins into the old man's hand. "Goodbye, Ollivander, and thank you," He told him as they walked out the door. "Now, where too-" "Excuse me," A young witch in shabby blue robes walked up to them and stared at Clara. "But are you Clara Riddle?"

"Er, yes, I am…?" Clara answered uncertainly. The girl's eyes widened. "Oh, wow! Everyone's been talking about you, you know. Word got out from Hogwarts and-" A young woman ran up to the girl and smiled politely at Dumbledore as she stared at Clara in what looked like pure terror. "I apologize for my daughter's bluntness, Miss Riddle, it won't happen again," She promised and her voice trembled slightly. "It's no big deal-" Clara began, but the witch grabbed her child's hand and walked away. She heard snippets of their conversation as they sped-walked away:

"Elizabeth, you have to be more careful! She's the Dark Lord's daughter- she could've killed you at any second!"

"But Mummy, she seemed so nice! And she was very pretty- she looked nothing like Vold-"

"_Don't _you dare say his name, Elizabeth! Looks don't matter- she's You-Know-Who's daughter, she can't be trusted!"

Clara stared after the two, her eyes flashing a deep bloody red before turning back into their normal ice-green color. "I can't believe they had the nerve to do that- those _brats!" _She muttered under her breath, and Dumbledore sighed as he studied Clara.

"They didn't mean any harm, Clara. And please refrain from cursing others- it's quite idiotic, and a complete waste of time, if you ask me." Dumbledore continued walking on to several over shops, where they got all of Clara's books, robes, and even a beautiful gingery owl, who Clara decided to name Annette.

After thanking him for the billionth time, Dumbledore and Clara apparated back to Hogwarts, right next to the Gryffindor Girls' Dormitory. "It's the weekend, isn't it?" Dumbledore casually asked Clara, and she stared at him. "Yes- I promise I'll study extra hard, if that's what you meant," She told him quickly, and he chuckled. "Well, that _is _what I meant, but I would like for you to accompany me before dinner to my office- we _must _work on basic spells, and seeing as you didn't know about the Wizarding World before now…"

His voice trailed off, but then picked up again at Clara's frown. "Anyways, I believe I've kept you long enough. It's nearly dinnertime, and you must be starving. I know I am," Dumbledore said brightly. At the sound of food, Clara's stomach grumbled so loudly a lion's roar couldn't compare. "Yeah," She said, "Let's go get something to chew on."

**Sorry about the rough ending, but other then that I thought this chapter was pretty good. It took me a long time to decide on Clara's wand, but I decided it should be black: The color of MYSTERY!  
… Sorry about that. I have really weird spaz attacks, and today's not my lucky day…**

**Anyways, PLEASE comment below, and because I don't know how to end this…**

**Love, hugs, and all that jazz,**

**Lyricalyrics**


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